An increasing number of healthcare providers are using electronic health records in daily practice, according to a report released by CMS.
Key findings from the report include:
1. Approximately 80 percent of eligible hospitals and more than 50 percent of eligible professionals have received meaningful use incentive payments since the program's inception.
2. Since 2011, more than 190 million electronic prescriptions have been sent by healthcare providers.
3. Providers sent 4.6 million patients a copy of their EHR in the past two years.
4. EHRs have been used more than 40 million times to check drug and medication interactions since 2011.
5. More than 4.3 million case summaries have been shared between providers since 2011.
6. In the past two years, EHRs sent more than 13 million reminders about appointments, required tests or check-ups to patients.
"These data show that healthcare professionals are not only adopting electronic health records rapidly, they're also using them to improve care," said Farzad Mostashari, MD, national coordinator for health information technology, in the report.
More Articles on EHR Adoption:
Study: EHRs Linked to Cost Savings in Outpatient Settings
HHS' Dr. Farzad Mostashari: EHRs Improve Patient Safety
Study: Meeting Meaningful Use Improves Quality of Care